The pumpkin cream with chickpeas is a delicious first course that we could include among the various comfort foods of the season, an autumn recipe that helps us better face the humid and somewhat chilly days. The pumpkin cream with chickpeas is also a typical example of how you can enjoy a vegetarian (actually, vegan!) dish without sacrificing the taste and satisfaction that food can give us: even though I’m not vegetarian, I often try to vary my menu by increasing, for example, the consumption of legumes, which provide fiber and, although to a lesser extent than meat, also proteins. The pumpkin cream with chickpeas is very easy and quick to prepare, and if well presented, it can also be a suitable first course for special occasions. You can, for example, serve it with croutons slightly fried in oil or simply toasted in the oven, or, for a more substantial first course, you can add cannolicchi, maltagliati, or other short pasta.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cream with Chickpeas
- 4 cups pumpkin (peeled and seeded)
- 2.5 oz leek
- 14 oz canned chickpeas
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste black pepper
- 1 sprig rosemary
- as needed vegetable broth
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot 24 cm diameter with lid
- 1 Immersion Blender
How to Prepare Pumpkin Cream with Chickpeas
To prepare the pumpkin cream with chickpeas, start by cutting the pumpkin into wedges. Remove the skin and seeds and dice it (1). You will need about 4 cups of pulp. Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly.
Wash the leek well and slice it into moderately thick rings (2). In a pan, lightly fry the leek in the oil (3), being careful not to burn it.
Then add the pumpkin (4) with a pinch of salt and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Then add some hot vegetable broth (5).
Cover the pot with a lid (6) and cook the pumpkin cream for about ten minutes over medium heat.
When the pumpkin is tender, add 3 or 4 tablespoons of chickpeas (7). Continue to cook for 4 or 5 minutes until the liquid reduces (8).
Remove the pot from the heat and blend with an immersion blender (9), until you obtain a smooth mixture. If the pumpkin cream is too thick, you can dilute it with a little water or broth.
Once you have a smooth and homogeneous pumpkin cream (10), place the pot back on the heat, add the rest of the chickpeas (11) and some rosemary needles.
Season with salt, pepper, and cook the pumpkin cream for another 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens (12). Turn off the heat.
Serve the pumpkin cream with chickpeas immediately, garnished with some pepper, a rosemary sprig, and accompanied by croutons.
How to Store Pumpkin Cream
If any is left over, you can store the pumpkin cream with chickpeas in a glass jar in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.
Tips and Variations
The thickness of the pumpkin cream depends on both the amount of broth added during cooking and the type of pumpkin used: varieties like the Delica or the Mantovana, for example, allow you to prepare a thicker, creamier soup.
Instead of leek, you can use half a yellow onion or a shallot.
If you’re looking for other delicious ways to cook pumpkin here you’ll find many recipes!
